Art Talk with SeeSantana : #1994 Exhibition in Queens

In the past few months I have been working on a series of works called #1994. When I was first creating it, I was using inspiration and the feel of nostalgia through aesthetics rather than executing concept or a vision. I found that each time I framed a piece of work, my mind went through these vivid memories and abstract feelings of my childhood that had not resurfaced in decades. Certain smells, voices and faces were coming back to me through artistic process of my pieces. It was intense. Ignoring the abuse, abandonment, divorce, the stillness of knowing something was wrong but not being able to comprehend it at a tender age through the grimy 90's. I emphasized the pattern scheme of 90s print with the juxtaposition of a digital abstraction. Using the lost year of 94' with a hashtag was a signature way for me to describe the work, the hashtag representing the age of the internet and 1994 describing the length and childhood experiences of my life. 1994 had a "feel" to it, an energy which my sole purpose was to re-create that "feeling" through shape, color, design and form. With over 50 artists showcasing their work this May at Reformed Talent's The Grind, #1994 will be the largest body of work to be exhibited for the night. Here's a sneak peek to the series as well as the memory caption and reflection.

"A series of #digital works that I've created called #1994. A juxtaposition of time with loud nostalgia using digital technique and design."

The year was #1994. Dangerous streets. Cheap, fast, fun. My mother didn't know. My mother didn't know. My mother didn't know. She really didn't know...how hard it was going to be the rest of the era. The rise of empires and fallen kingdoms. Distorted photos of a frozen time. The subtle artwork did more justice. #1994

"Sometimes I feel like you can't relate to me." Out the door and I never saw him again.

"...You know I remember. The domestic violence and all the abuse. The drunken nights you stumbled in and hurt us. I still remember. The screams. The anger. The women. The changes. The thought of it, the smell. Above the leather couch I remember the artwork, the design. The timeless aesthetic that had me frozen forever. You two thought you had it all planned out, the living space was mod, clean and beautiful. The only good that came out of it was remembering the feeling and aesthetic to give you #1994."

"#1994. Stop screaming at me. I can't say it did not f*ck me up, for lusting an aesthetic abstraction than a solid reality. Chasing a fantasy, but its real, because abstraction exists, doesn't it?"